Apple Job Listings Point To New And Improved Maps And Location Services

Apple Job Listings Point To New And Improved Maps And Location Services

Apple is once again looking to add to its team of super-clever people, this time with a view to improve the company’s Maps development team. AppleInsider has discovered not one, but two new listings on Apple’s own job site for an ‘iOS Maps Application Developer’.

Listed as two full-time positions, the jobs come complete with suitably (for Apple at least) cryptic descriptions, though Apple’s new ‘post PC-era’ catchphrase is there in full effect!

Come work for the team that revolutionized the mobile technology industry as it continues to define what computing looks like in a post-PC era. The Maps team is looking for a proactive and hardworking software engineer to join our team. Along with excellent skills in object-oriented software design and programming, the successful candidate will have real-world experience developing sophisticated user interfaces. Excellent communication skills are also a must, as you will be collaborating closely with Apple’s peerless human interface team to add new and innovative features.

Apple’s current Maps iOS applications use Google’s map tiles, but when Apple bought Google competitor Placebase in 2009 it was widely rumoured the Cupertino outfit was looking to sever ties with the people behind the then fledgling Android OS. Those rumours didn’t come to fruition however.

The word on the street these days is that Apple’s MobileMe will be seeing an overhaul sooner rather than later, with a new location-based feature to be integrated. Could the new job listings be related to this in some way?

Of course there’s always the possibility somebody left Apple and they just need to fill seats.